The Flame Reborn
by defo18
Summary: Hephaestus' life has never been easy as he was discarded by his parents for not meeting their standards His wife constantly cheats on him And to top it all off he's crippled and very unhappy Maybe a Certain Goddess from Hades can help him with his promblems


He had made a routine of doing this. He didn't know how many centuries upon centuries he had done this.

Walking home from the forge was like a gamble. If he left too early he might see …them in his bed again. If he left to late his wife would most likely get bored and scurry off somewhere, most likely to the company of another god. It was like a silent torture, gambling his time and energy wondering if his wife was together with his brothers.

Sometimes he did question his relationship, if you could call it that, with Aphrodite. It is not like he wooed her or courted her. Their marriage was an arranged one. Of course he was ecstatic! She was the most beautiful creature in existence! He felt so happy. Not because of her beauty but because was love and was something he had been longing for in his life.

But damn, he had no idea his marriage would turn out the way it did. He would listen while other deities whispered about him. Sometimes out of pity, sometimes it was about how much a fool he was for thinking that Aphrodite would stay faithful to them.

Look at him! The only crippled god! He looked about the mortal age of twenty, his upper body was strong and youthful from years at the forge, but his legs were damaged beyond repair and they constantly caused him pain, mental and physical.

He realized how lost in thought he was when he came up to the exterior of his palace.

The lights were off. Yet another gamble he would have to take. Does he go in to find his wife gone or another god in his bed?

He decided against both options.

"Looks like I'll be sleeping over Eileithyia's again" he thought as he walked away from his own home again.

Alone and crippled he was compared to the rest of Mount Olympus. It was beautiful even at night. Another routine he had developed subconsciously on these lonely nights was comparing himself to her lovers.

Ares was his older brother and the epitome of manliness. Something he knew he could never amount to. He cared for nothing and followed his own interests, something women found attractive. Out of all her lovers he was the most prominent.

Hermes was her second favorite. Much like Ares minus the violence and bloodshed.

Dionysus was handsome is all he could think of why Aphrodite went for him. It must be the madness he causes.

Poseidon…He was beginning to feel nauseous. His own uncle, someone he expected wise counsel and advise from had been sleeping with his wife. It felt worse with him, even more so than Ares. It was like a spit in the face when she slept with Poseidon. He could tolerate his brothers and cousins but his own uncle? He decided to stop thinking about it.

He made his way to the entrance of the king and queens palace. His little sisters still live with Zeus and Hera. He made his way into the courtyard and on his right was Eileithyia's quarters.

Eileithyia was walking home from Artemis'. They had helped a mother with the birth of her child. She then saw her older brother walking toward her room. She was about to call his name when a beautiful goddess with an exquisite midnight chiton covering her slender form and her hair was as dark as Nyx. Said goddess was walking up to her brother.

"Excuse me I'm looking for the God of the Forge." The goddess spoke with grace.

"You're speaking to him." Hephaestus answered. This goddess seemed familiar but he could not recall where he had seen her before.

"Good! I have a request that require your skills." She said with a calm smile.

"I need a chariot one of a dark color perhaps. It would be nice to have it done by next week"

"Uhm…Sure. I can do that." He said still stunned by the mysterious beauty. "May I ask your name my dear?"

"Ah. Where are my manners? My name is Macaria daughter of Hades and Persephone.

That's why she looked so familiar. She looked just like Persephone.

"Macaria. It's nice to finally meet you. Tell your father I said hi. I'll get started on your chariot tomorrow.

"Thank you very much master craftsman!" She thanked him with glee as she faded into the night.

**Author's Note: Fisrt fic dealing with mythology**

**I know I made Aphrodite seem like the bad guy but she and Hephaestus will be developed later in the story**

**Macaria was Hades and Persephone's daughter she's not to famous so I chose her as the female protagonist.**

**plz enjoy.**


End file.
